Roy Holder plays a cameo part as the older road worker who talks to Williams when he opens flat window. Holder was a main character in the movie Loot (1970), by Joe Orton, Williams' close friend.
The music that scores the closing scenes and voiceover and goes into the end credits is taken from the soundtrack for The Hours (2002), composed by Philip Glass. The first track, during the final diary entry, is "For Your Own Benefit", followed by "Why Does Someone Have to Die?" when Lou tries to wake him up.
Williams' role in Hancock was not slimmed down by the suggestion or demand of Hancock at all. The "grotesque" was a character that the Hancock writers Galton & Simpson wanted to get away from to take the show in a new direction with Hancock and Sid James in a sort of double act.
Joan Sims was portrayed by Beatie Edney, who is the real-life daughter of Sylvia Syms, who had co-starred with Joan Sims in The Big Job (1965).